THE passage of the the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) containing the P5.268-trillion National Expenditure Program for 2023 has been certified as urgent by President Ferdinand Romualdez Jr.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez received the one-page letter from the president dated September 16, calling for the immediate enactment of House Bill (HB) No. 4488, according to a tweet by GMA’s Tina Panganiban-Perez.
Marcos Jr. said the swift passage is needed “in order to address the need to maintain continuous government operations following the end of the current fiscal year, strengthen efforts to respond more effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic, and support initiatives towards national economic recovery”.
The “urgent” certification from the president allows the approval of a bill on second and third reading on the same day.
In August, the Department of Budget and Management transmitted to the House of Representatives the proposed national budget for 2023.
The budget bill is currently being deliberated in plenary at the House.
Romualdez said the chamber is eyeing to approve the GAB on third and final reading on or before October 1.
The Senate has also started its hearings on the budget at the committee level.
Under Article VI, Section 24 of the 1987 Constitution, all appropriation measures shall originate exclusively in the House of Representatives but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments.
Based on the DBM’s proposed budget for next year, there are double-digit increases in the Philippines’ allocation to education, infrastructure, health, social protection, and agriculture.
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